BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: Republican Brooklyn councilwoman Inna Vernikov was arrested on Thursday, October 12, when she was spotted carrying a firearm at a pro-Palestine protest rally, an incident which prompted several to call for her removal from office.
The Jewish councilwoman has lashed out against pro-Palestine supporters while she was present as protesters convened on the campus of CUNY’s Brooklyn College on Thursday, October 12.
What did the authorities say about Inna Vernikov's arrest?
“[Vernikov] was observed with the but-end of a firearm (handgun) protruding from the front portion of her pants” while observing the protest between noon and 2.45 pm, police told the New York Post.
“The councilwoman eventually left the location and upon notification to the police, the councilwoman was contacted and she turned herself into the 70 Precinct, in the company of her attorney [around 2:50 am Friday, October 13],” the sources continued.
What charges does Inna Vernikov face now?
The 39-year-old was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm because she was on school grounds, the sources said.
She surrendered her gun and her firearm permit and was not processed but instead given a desk appearance ticket, they noted.
“At no point in time was anyone menaced or injured as a result of her possessing the firearm at the earlier protest,” police sources told the outlet.
Even though Vernikov has a concealed carry permit, it is illegal in New York State to have a firearm at sensitive locations such as protests or school grounds.
Inna Vernikov shared a video of herself speaking outside the controversial protest
“If you’re standing w/ the protestors, yelling ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ & ‘FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE’ while innocent women and babies are being raped, massacred and beheaded, you’re a HAMAS supporter & apologist who would like to bring the terror here to rid the world of the Jewish people,” she wrote alongside the clip.
Although the councilwoman's gun was not visible in her own video, other images and footage Vernikov with the handgun clearly displayed in her pants quickly made the rounds on social media.
“At today’s rally on Brooklyn College campus led by the students in their SJP chapter, Inna Vernikov showed up showcasing a gun to Palestinian students and their allies,” CUNY4 Palestine tweeted alongside one such image.
“These are the tactics of force and intimidation used by zionist groups to silence any support for Palestine," an attendee commented.
“She should lose her job and the gun license taken away from her,” another one commented.
